Thin MDF?

[OCtoolguy]

I've never used MDF before so my question is, where do folks find thin MDF? I'm thinking for the project I'm working on it might be better than 1/8" BB. Can it be bought in very thin thicknesses? Any advice appreciated. I'm thinking it may take paint better also.

[Bill WIlson]

I've never seen MDF that thin.  Not sure what you are using it for, but would tempered hardboard work?  I believe it is available in 1/8" thick.

[OCtoolguy]

8 minutes ago, Bill WIlson said:

I've never seen MDF that thin.  Not sure what you are using it for, but would tempered hardboard work?  I believe it is available in 1/8" thick.

Bill, I'm making tissue box covers and the box itself is made of 1/4" BB but the trim panels that are attached to the outside are all supposed to be cut from 1/8" BB. I'm having trouble with chip out along the edges when cutting to size on my table saw. Nothing terrible bad but noticeable. I thought maybe I'd try to cut them from 1/8" mdf. I found that Home Depot offers it so I might pick some up and give it a try. I'll attach a pic of what I'm doing.

[Eplfan2011]

Amazon sell bite size pelces just like they do plywood.

[Dan]

https://www.amazon.com/8th-inch-Medium-Density-Fibreboard-Hardwood/dp/B08W37HCFW

https://makerstock.com/products/mdf

[Sycamore67]

If you are getting chip out on your table saw, you may be using the wrong blade or a dull blade.

As for MDF, I hate cutting it due to the dust.

[John B]

I use MDF quite a lot. In OZ you can get it from 3mm to 45mm, maybe even thicker, but I have had no use for it.
I use 3mm for backing portraits and other things, 6mm for kid's tray puzzles, 16mm for furniture, dolls houses etc. I also use 3mm for Xmas decorations that I intend to paint. It takes paint much better than ply or timber and produces a smoother finish.

[OCtoolguy]

14 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

If you are getting chip out on your table saw, you may be using the wrong blade or a dull blade.

As for MDF, I hate cutting it due to the dust.

Thanks. It's a brand new Diablo 50 tooth thin kerf blade. I don't like the dust factor either but I do all the table saw work outside and have dust control hooked up. 

[Sycamore67]

I use an 80 tooth Freud Ultimate plywood blade for getting clean cuts along with a zero clearance insert.  Unfortunately, it is not cheap but does a great job.  The zero clearance insert makes quite a difference.

[Bill WIlson]

To help minimize chip out on plywood crosscuts, a simple method it to wrap the cut line with painters tape.  Couple that with a zero clearance insert and a fine tooth blade and you could just about eliminate it altogether.

[OCtoolguy]

54 minutes ago, Sycamore67 said:

I use an 80 tooth Freud Ultimate plywood blade for getting clean cuts along with a zero clearance insert.  Unfortunately, it is not cheap but does a great job.  The zero clearance insert makes quite a difference.

Yes, I have one of those too. I might have to look into an 80 tooth blade though. Or find something that works better than 1/8" BB. 

[OCtoolguy]

5 minutes ago, Bill WIlson said:

To help minimize chip out on plywood crosscuts, a simple method it to wrap the cut line with painters tape.  Couple that with a zero clearance insert and a fine tooth blade and you could just about eliminate it altogether.

I haven't done the blue tape thing yet but may have to give that a try. Everything else suggested I've done. Except for the 80 tooth blade. 

[FrankEV]

On 8/29/2022 at 4:14 PM, OCtoolguy said:

Bill, I'm making tissue box covers and the box itself is made of 1/4" BB but the trim panels that are attached to the outside are all supposed to be cut from 1/8" BB. I'm having trouble with chip out along the edges when cutting to size on my table saw. Nothing terrible bad but noticeable. I thought maybe I'd try to cut them from 1/8" mdf. I found that Home Depot offers it so I might pick some up and give it a try. I'll attach a pic of what I'm doing.

I'm betting you need a new blade in your table saw.  I'm trying the Spyder 80 tooth blade from Lowes and so far it is doinga good job.  I cut 1/8 BB ply all the time and the cut is clean as a whistle. Ofcourse, finish side up during cut.

Would not think MDF is a good choice as the exposed edges do not look nice and don't finish well, but just may opinion..

I like the Palm Tree on your box, I've got to make a few more, for all the boxes of tissues around my house, and the Palm Tree would be a good fit for our Florida Home.

Wondering why you maake the box out of 1/4 BB ply.   Seems awlful heavy.  I use 1/8" for both the inside and outside  for a total wall thiickness of 1/4 on my 5 sided boxes.

Edited August 31, 2022 by FrankEV

[OCtoolguy]

Frank, I just followed the pattern from Steve Good and that's what he called for. I sorta thought the same thing. As I stated above, my blade is new. Maybe 50 tooth isn't fine enough. I'll look for a good one. I'm using a Diablo and they are highly rated.

[Bill WIlson]

A 50 tooth Diablo is perfectly fine for a lot of tasks.  Cutting plywood across the grain probably isn't its strong suit, at least not without taking some of the other measures that have been mentioned.

I like a blade with the maximum number of teeth possible for cutting plywood across the grain.  When I'm breaking down sheet goods with my 7 1/4" circular saw, I use a dedicated plywood blade for the cleanest cuts.  it isn't even carbide tipped, but it has a million tiny teeth.  I use the same blade when I'm trimming the bottom off of birch interior doors, along with the painters tape trick.  I don't have a zero clearance base on my circular saw, but the combination of a high tooth count blade and the tape on the cut line makes for a very clean cut.

[FrankEV]

3 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

Frank, I just followed the pattern from Steve Good and that's what he called for. I sorta thought the same thing. As I stated above, my blade is new. Maybe 50 tooth isn't fine enough. I'll look for a good one. I'm using a Diablo and they are highly rated.

50 tooth is not a fine finish saw blade. It is probably a construction saw blade intended for ripping and crosscutting.  Probably a full 1/8" thick kurf cut also.   A finish saw that is thin with a min of 8o teeth is the best for the kind of work we do...especially when cutting 1/8" ply.   Diablo blades are very good, but costly.  The Spyder is a relatively new on the market blade from Lowes and not too terribly expensive.   

[Sycamore67]

I use a high tooth count blade with HiATB tooth design.  I will admit that I do a lot of woodworking and invested in the right  saw blades.  The tooth count is important but the tooth design and geometry are critical.

[Eplfan2011]

Little late to this one, but if I'm using some ply and I'm getting splintering I'll try using a scoring cut first. Don't go deep just enough to cut the face fibers, then run it back through at full depth.

The scoring cut will sever the top fibers while they are still supported. The trick is a LITE scoring cut!

[OCtoolguy]

The blade I have been using is an ATB blade and it is a thin kerf but I guess not enough teeth. I used to use nothing be Forrest blades back when I had money but now I look for what I can afford. I found a Diablo 80 tooth plywood blade on Amazon for $44. I can afford that. So, It's going to get ordered after our card closes on the 14th. I keep my Amazon bill under control and right now it's higher than I like. We try to use our Cap-1 card for most purchases just for the points ($) that keep racking up. At some point I'll cash in my points but I keep that little thing in the back of my mind just for if it's ever needed.